Thoughts on everything from Politics to Video Games

The Tea Party espouses the idea of taking our nation back. They want smaller government and less taxes; providing that neither of these ideas touch Social Security. The Republicans in Congress have made it their single goal to repeal the Health care law – that’s their idea of larger government run amok. Paul Ryan wants to re-write the tax laws in such a manner that single people would pay the highest burden. Vanity Fair and 60 Minutes conducted a poll whereby 20% of the people would cut our defense budget in order to reduce the deficit.

None of these people have a clue about what is truly best for our country.

I support most of what is in the health care law. I’m not happy about not being able to purchase over the counter medications with my flex spending money, but I can live with it. I don’t have a problem with the government making health insurance mandatory and you shouldn’t either. We have mandatory car insurance laws in this country and I don’t see anyone getting their panties into a bunch over that. Making health care mandatory helps everyone. Not only is it simple math: more people on a policy keeps the individual cost down, but it is wise – if everyone has insurance, hospitals won’t have to treat the uninsured who can’t pay, which keeps the costs down. Since insurance companies can no longer turn down someone for a pre-existing condition, it means that someone can’t not have coverage and then gets coverage only when they find out their really sick. Let’s use our heads here and stop thinking with the other end.

I happen to be against Paul Ryan’s Road Map for America. In fact, I am so selfish that I don’t want to see any tax changes until gays are allowed to marry. Don’t take away my mortgage deduction and tell me this is fair or a better way. I’ll still be paying in the 25% bracket under either plan – except with my mortgage deduction (and other deduction: property taxes, charities), I end up paying between 16 & 18%. Under Paul Ryan’s plan, I’ll pay 25%. No, I don’t think you need to change the tax laws.

Don’t touch Social Security – at all. What do you think is going to happen to these people who depend on it? How can you expect a family of four to raise their kids, pay for college and put money away for retirement? Don’t forget, they have to keep spending, too, because our economy is consumer driven. The more consumers save, the worse it gets.